14, 1994
Ar7
WestfteM Record
Community life
Sharing
•->•
'• ThiM column
highlights the
accomplishments and gener- o»ily of tubuftcm Union txrfuntem and the services qf the
charitabt* organizations they
support.
*
Grad party
seeks gifts,
cash, too
CRANFORD - Merchandlat, gift certificates and cash
art being sought by the organisers of the sixth Graduation Party to be held on the
t fright of commencement for
"CHS seniors.
The 1994 Graduation Party
is being put together by
Cnnfbrd High School's PTA,
the Municipal Alliance/Common Sense and Senior Parents. Checks should be made
r . payable to Cranford High
'School FTA; arrangements
for donating merchandise are
through Donation Chairperson Margaret Gordon at 2764132.
Drug firm's grant
boosts UCC lab
CRANFORD - A $50,000
grant from the ScheringPlough Foundation to Union
County College for its science
laboratory at the Elizabeth
campus was announced by
UCC President Dr. Thomas
H. Brown.
The lab will be used by
UCC students and for a precoflege program for middle
and high school students.
^Goldberger Fund
^puts kids in camp
:. £ £ SCOTCH PLAINS - Donations of any size are sought
for the Larry Goldberger Memorial Scholarship Fund
-which provides scholarships
for children enrolled in the
. Jewish Community Center of
^ Central New Jersey's Day
Camp and nursery school
here. Among his many volunteer leadership roles, Mr.
Goldberger was JCC board
chairman at the time of his
death. A $500 donation cove n four weeks of camp for a
child; $1,000 covers almost
the full eight-week program.
Checks should be payable to
the Lany Goldberger Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o
JCC of Central NJ, 1391 Martine Ave., Scotch Plains, N.J.
07076.
Center renamed
for Mrs. Cuccaro
ROSELLE PARK - VisitIng Nune Affiliate, formerly
the Visiting Nurse and
Health Services, of Elizabeth
has renamed its day care
Center the Rosemary Cuccaro
Pediatric Medical Day Care
Center. Hie center is on
Westfleld Avenue in Roselle
Park. Mrs. Cuccaro, of Westfield, recently retired as executive director of VNHS.
Quilt-athon for
AIDS babies
WESTFIELD — A one-day
quilt-athon to make crib comforters for babies born with
HIV/AIDS, fetal-alcohol syndrome and drug addicitions
will be held Saturday at Holy
Trinity
Greek
Orthodox
Church, 250 Gallows Hill Rd.
Last year, the first for the
project, 150 volunteers made
108 baby quilts in one day.
This year's goal is higher, because the need is greater, organizers said. Volunteers will
work with free materials and
need not know how to sew.
There's plenty to do just cutting, measuring, Ironing, flllIng, plnnln and tying. All
age* are welcome. Work will
go on 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Call (201)
e3H
tbrdeuiilH.
. Arthritis telethon
on televion Sunday
1SEUN - The N.» Chapter
of the Arthritis Foundation
reminds nil thnt (ho rwllmml
telethon Hint nt :» [».tn. Sunday. TV star Sarah Put-cell
MA •tngtr Cryntal Gale will
f
6 * AwtunMt entertainer*.
GEORGE PACCIELLO/FOftBES NEWSPAPERS
Providing thair singing talent at the get-acquainted coffee were residenta of the new Cranford Lincoln Senior Apartment* who discovered they had more in
common than their addreaa. Pictured standing left to right are Bob Lunsden, Joe Yorey, John Rablng, Harold Newcomb, Gabe Artlmovich, and Joe Hollan.
Accompanying them la Billie Jane Schmitt on the organ, while Stephanie Beaany liatena.
How to make an uprooting uplifting
'Pioneer' seniors move into new apartment building and form a community
fty CHERYL HEM.
FORBES NEWSPAPERS
It has been a long haul for folks who
have just moved into the new CranfordIincoln Senior Apartments in Cranford.
They came from as far away as Indiana and
as close as around the corner. And although
their backgrounds are as varied as their
ages, these "pioneers," are forming a
strong, new community among themselves.
The people who now call 800 Lincoln Avenue their home will long remember the
winter of 1994. It the worst winter in 50 or
more years, but it also was the year they
made a dramatic change in lifestyle. For
the new tenants, moving into senior housing meant giving up their homes, leaving
friends and familiar surroundings and putting down roots in an entirely different environment. But, as most will confess, "It
was time."
As residents began to fill the three-story,
100-unit complex in February, the community flourished right off the bat. Those
who moved in first became the unofficial
welcoming committee for those who followed. Now when a moving van pulls up
several residents can be counted on to greet
and bid a hearty welcome to the newcomers. And the lobby, with its living room
atmosphere, has become "the"place to hear
just who is moving in next.
Others have formed friendships in the
laundry room, on their way to the office, or
most recently at the first official gettogether coffee.
Nearly 100 seniors gathered in the newly
completed community room Thursday
drinking coffee and eating tasty treats
baked by some of the tenants, they shared
stories of moving during the winter, bringing too much furniture, leaving places they
had grown accustomed to, and of their new
surrounding. Many discovered they had
something in common that morning.
Housing Board President Roman Chapelsky thanked all the new residents for putting up with ongoing construction. He
called the seniors "pioneers" of sorts.
"A building is a building, it's just brick
and mortar. You have to give it life," Mr.
Chapelsky told the residents. But he
brought about jovial laughter when he
added, "But I doubt Adele (Gilman, director
of both the Cranford-Lincoln and Gill apartments) will let you sit in your apartments.
She won't even let me sit in my house."
Mrs. Gilman also expressed her sentiments regarding the last few months, saying, "we have been through some rough
times together," but "today we become a
community." She also told residents, who
nodded their heads in agreement, "the
bonds of friendship you make here will en-
hance the good times and lend support to
you in times of loss and grief."
And it has already started. Quite unexpectedly, just a day after one couple moved
into the building the husband became ill
and died. Although this has been an especially trying and difficult time for the
widow, she ventured out to spend a few
minutes with her new neighbors.
The get-together was not without entertainment, either. Billy Jane Schmitt, a
former music teacher hailing from Indiana,
GEORGE PACCIELLO/FORBES NEWSPAPERS
New friendships form among tenants of the new senior housing units in
Cranford as Claire Ustin, Mary Matteson and Kay Jackowskl chat at the grand
opening party for the building last week.
volunteered to play some lively renditions
from the 1940's on the organ. Mrs. Schmitt
moved from Indiana to be near her daughter Jane Ann Ripperger who lives in Westfield with her husband and four children.
Six gentlemen tenants were called on to
demonstrate their talents, much to the delight of the crowd. It was just by chance the
men met one day in the lobby and realized
they had more than age in common. Since
then they can be heard harmonizing tunes
from the 40s in the lobby several times a
day.
Starting with "Let Me Call You Sweetheart", and some other old favorites, the
singers prompted many seniors to join in,
and a few to wipe a tear.
But there are many other talents at 800
Lincoln Avenue. For example, Rita Yorey,
who moved from Scotch Plains with her
husband Joe, will be teaching a weekly
craft class soon, but many of her delightful
creations are already hanging on the doors
of various apartments and gracing the desk
in Mrs. Gilman's office.
Others like Jeannine Conroy, Flo Middleton (who moved from Garwood) and Mrs.
Schmitt are "lifesavers," when it comes to
organizing things, according to Mrs. Guzman. A tenants association is in the works
and there are plans for trips and events.
Superintendent Bob Lundsen, who lives
on the premises with his wife, receives
much praise from the residents for his patience and help. The singing group, however, claims that the super's real talent is in
harmonizing with them.
As the party broke up and residents bean
leaving the community room, they exchanged phone numbers and made plans to
see each other soon.
"See you in the laundry room tomorrow,"
said May Leonard to another resident as
Flo Middleton wiped down some tables and
waved to Gilda Torres.
"I just love it here," said Mrs. Middleton,
who lived in Garwood for 70 years. "I've
met so many lovely people here," she said
with a sweet smile, making special mention
of her new neighbors Bob and Hazel Piearson, who were Cranford residents prior to
their move.
How to beat 'DMZ' with lights, mirrors and tears
What is it with the Division of Motor
Vehicles? The way I see it they ought to be
called the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) not
the DMV,
It all started back in January when my
car was duo for reinspectinn. No problem 1
said to myself, I'll just go at lunchtime and
get it over with.
First of all, I pull up behind 50 or GO
other people who had the same idea.
"Whatxtiaexpeet, lmly, its the end of the
month?" said a DMV man who lcx>k my
credentials. So I wailed. Waited while linen
moved up, down, around, over and tinder.
Finally, after what .seemed like Ml yearn, it
WIIH my turn.
On down the line I waited lor the man in
the little booth ID punch more hole;! in my
card and reach in my wiondow to scraite
oil' the old slicker. Hut instead (tf scntpin^
and pasting he added a red slicker that
By Cheryl Hehl
ing," explnined the man from the little
booth with n hall' smile on his face, "get it
fixed and come hack."
I look my loving ear to the repair man
who instated the back lii'htH worked line.
And sure enough when we looked, every
li^ht wtw in |x'riect working condition.
I prepared for my return In the DMV to
rij;l)t Ihe wroiwdoinn. Unfortunately, in the
meantime, my daughter Imrmwwi the car
for a few dayH and Homeone luicked Into
the outside mirror, shattering, the JHUKH and
c:i:;liiK-
"HK.1MTKI)," I said in dismay, "what's
winiij!?" I low could my little Dodjje Shad
ow have ('ailed wlien it purred like a kitten
ttnil barely ale enough Mas tti Htivy alive.
"I/xik, lady, your hack li^ht Isn't work
Hack at the DMV I confidently pulled up
to the front of the inspection Muitlon and
announced to the man in the booth that
"someone had mude a tra^e mlHtake."
"It's the Ihini light-, lady, the one in the
back window, not the tail lights," he said in
a flat tone. "And by the way, that driver's
mirror hns to be fixed by the time y»u
come back, too." He was loving this, really
loving this, 1 said to myself.
So, 1 get the "third" light bulb replaced,
pny $04 to get a new mirror and head back
to the DMV, otherwise known as the DM7..
However, this time I also had to try to
conceal the fnct that the front license plate
wns missing. Seems my lovinj; daughter
had nccklently parked in a snow bank and
Inudvertantl) bucked out and left my license plate In the white stuff. Not to worry,
I way tti myneir, I'll JUHI pull up to the front
of the inflection station in a way that
hides the front of my car and no one will
lie the wiser.
So I Kvl to the DMV and have to make
three pauses liefnre the tfuy in the lxx>th is
detracted. I pull up on an an^le. net out of
the car and stand wedded HO he can't, see
the front of my ear,
I tell him my tale of woe, point out. the
repairs, manage to hide my tntgAiutf llcetme
plate, anil am thin done to gvttlntf thai red
rejected sticker off my ear when ev-
erything falls completley appart.
"Sorry, you're a day late," he says, pointing to the card that indicates the 28 not the
2W. "GotUi go through the entire line again,
lady, "cause you're late "
"fill*1 iw my stieker," I scream. "I have
been through hell and back and 1 want my
atidwr." People are staring at me, but I
don't can any more.
The man in the booth is completley unfaml by my tantrum. He has moved on to
another man in another car thnt was rejected and is Ignoring my pleas for mercy.
So I tin what I have to: I cry. HiK tfulping
subs, accompanied by large tears of selfpity, I throw myself on the fender of my
cur and curse the day I was liorn
Perhaps it was a miracle, I don't know.
Maylx' the man JUKI took pity on me. He
was prnlnihly afraid I'd kill mywelf or stotnethlntf. Hut the next thlnjj 1 know he came
over, ttjok rny little card, fscra|>ed off my
rejected ticket and put on the one I bad
worked no hard for
"As II nlmulfl lie," I naid <mllTlnM «nd
bkiwltitf my now
tie walked away in disgust. Hut It w n
worth It.